If you are trying to get a job as a developer, focus the majority of your time in your portfolio.

Make sure you https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Funken" aria-label="Emoji: Funken">SHOW https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Funken" aria-label="Emoji: Funken">, don’t tell.

But unless you are a designer, *showing* your engineering skills may be tricky.

This is a thread https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">about portfolios. A https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">to blow their minds.

If you want to impress, and you want people to listen to you, words won’t matter and you have to bring https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Funken" aria-label="Emoji: Funken">solid, demonstrable evidence of delivered valuehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Funken" aria-label="Emoji: Funken">.

You don’t want to interview without a portfolio. You’ll be disappointed.

Let& #39;s see how you can structure yours:

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Add four sections to your portfolio:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">A section about yourself
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">A section about your work
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">A section about your education
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">A section so they can contact you

Ideally, you publish this online (but a PDF also works.) You can use GitHub Pages for free to host it!

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In the section about yourself:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Tell me who you are
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Tell me what are you looking for
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Tell me what you are good at

This should be simple. Maybe a couple of paragraphs. Don’t let this section run too long and distract from the work that you’ll showcase later.

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In the section about your education:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List your formal education
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List your Bootcamp if you went to one
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List any courses you have taken
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List any certifications you have achieved

Anything that has contributed to the knowledge you have should go here.

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In the section with your contact information:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List your name, email, phone number
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List your GitHub profile
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">List your LinkedIn profile

Do not list any links that aren& #39;t work-related.

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The core of the profile goes into the section about your work. Here are some general rules:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Show your best work first
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Only show work that’s relevant
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">It should not be longer than 5 projects
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Consider adding testimonials

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">

For each project, include the following information:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Project name
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Description
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Tech stack
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Your role in the project (how did you contribute?)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Results (tangible, measurable)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Link to the application (if available)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Link to the code (if available)

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">

If your work is protected and you can’t show the code or much information about it, share what you can:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Code snippets
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Description of your collaboration
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Any results that don’t disclose the nature of the project

Something is better than nothing.

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If you are just starting, you can do the following:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Build a site. For free. For nobody. Put it up. Repeat.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Take a course. Or two. Three is better. Mention it.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Create a blog. Tell a story. Link to it.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▫️" title="Weißes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Weißes kleines Quadrat">Package code samples. Bring them.

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Here are a few questions you want to ask yourself about your portfolio. If you aren’t clear about the answer, it means you haven’t finished yet:

1. Do I know what this person is looking for in a job?
2. Do they have adequate communication skills?
3. Can they deliver value?

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4. Do they write clean, well-documented code?
5. Do they test their work?
6. Do they explain their decision-making process?
7. Do they know the architecture of their solutions?
8. Do they like what they do?
9. Do I know how to get in touch?
10. Do I want to work with them?

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If you’ve been around, and you can’t show something, you don’t deserve the position. If you were interviewing with me, that will be the end of the conversation.

Unfortunately, this is very common. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤷‍♂️" title="Achselzuckender Mann" aria-label="Emoji: Achselzuckender Mann">

It’s one of the reasons you are getting rejected. Again and again.

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I’ve interviewed very junior people that have busted their asses to impress. They have gotten the job.

I’ve interviewed very senior people that think the world owes them something. They didn& #39;t get the job.

A portfolio will help your case. Tremendously!

Go and make yours!